NBA Trade Deadline
Justin Loretz
Staff Writer
Luka Doncic is now a Los Angeles Laker. It has been three weeks now, and it remains as surreal as it was initially. After it was revealed that the Mavericks did not perform a physical on Davis, before he would suffer an injury for several weeks, this trade has further solidified itself as the worst in NBA history. Anthony Davis is a perennial All-Star and undoubtedly a superstar, but at the age of thirty-one with a history of injuries, he is on his way out. Luka, on the other hand, at twenty-five, had been the identity of the Mavericks team that had finally climbed to the Finals, even after having lost Brunson. Along with this, a first-round pick was thrown their way, but with the Lakers’ talent, it is unlikely to hold value in the draft and is also in 2029. The trade involved some other role players, and the Utah Jazz as well, who would receive Jalen Hood-Schifino, a second-rounder from Dallas (2025), and another that the Clippers originally held. This deal was even worse than the Chris Paul trade in 2011 that was vetoed.
The Lakers, however, were not satisfied, as their ambitions and aspirations led them to desire a tighter rotation. They had hoped that this would be accomplished by sending Dalton Knect, Cam Reddish, a first-round pick (2031), and a first-round swap (2030) to Charlotte—but it was not. This trade was rescinded by them, in part because of his physical, but the reasons are still being disputed as of now. After seeing this, the Mavericks attempted to do the same, but it was too late, and they embarrassingly never conducted a physical on Anthony Davis either.
The Golden State Warriors brought in a key piece themselves acquiring Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat, notably sending off Andrew Wiggins, Dennis Schröder, and a (protected) first-round pick. Butler’s defensive prowess and leadership will be instrumental in boosting the Warriors’ championship aspirations. With Stephen Curry still playing at an elite level, Golden State’s acquisition of Butler is a clear win-now move, especially as Curry referenced how Kobe Bryant’s career ended without the Lakers having a chance, and that he “doesn’t want to be in that scenario.” It will certainly remain interesting to see whether or not Butler and Draymond Green can get along and work together.
The Western Conference continued to lay blow after blow, as Sacramento shipped out De’Aaron Fox to San Antonio, in return for Zach LaVine from the Bulls, three first-round picks, and three second-rounders. For whatever reason, Chicago saw what happened with Luka and tried to outdo it themselves because all they got in return was a first and some role players. With Fox alongside Wembanyama and Chris Paul, the Spurs suddenly became very competitive—until the 7’3” unicorn (or “anomaly”) was diagnosed with a blood clot that would effectively end his season. This is not by any means common, but the Pistons’ rising star, Ausar Thompson, had his 2023-2024 campaign cut short because of this, and even missed much of the beginning of this season.
Brandon Ingram, another player who endured a blood clot, was also moved, this time to another country in the north for the Raptors. In return, the Pelicans received a first-round pick (2026), a second (2031), and journeyman Kelly Olynyk, a player who was already found and exposed as a Tinder user (Bruce Brown). This was an essential move for a Raptors team that has true talent but just cannot string together any wins. The East finally made some headwinds and if there had to be a team that won the trade, it would most definitely be the Raptors here, as the Pelicans can only pray that Toronto has a repeat of this season next year.
Now, Kelly Olynyk may be a journeyman, but he (and nobody else for that matter) has never experienced what went down with Dennis Schröder, who was already mentioned in an earlier trade. Within the span of twenty-four hours, he was led to believe his new home would be in San Francisco, Miami, Utah, and finally, Detroit. Oh yeah, and all of this occurred right after he suggested that the trade deadline is like “modern slavery.” Finally, the Pistons held onto him, hoping to restore the great void left by Jaden Ivey’s injury, who they believe will make a miraculous return during the playoffs, as Detroit currently holds the six seed, one season separated from their twenty-eight-game losing streak, which is more than they have lost this year.
The Wizards decided that they would “be that team” this year,” as they still have yet to eclipse ten wins. However, Kyle Kuzma no longer has to live with that, after being sent over to the Bucks, primarily in exchange for Khris Middleton. This trade does not make too much sense, as while Middleton is certainly solid, he is thirty-three, and this Wizards team is not even close to capable of winning now.
Several other minor trades occurred, and now that all is said and done, this deadline can very easily be labeled the craziest in NBA history. That would possibly be the case even if the only one that happened was Luka Dončić for Anthony Davis. The amount of attention the NBA was garnering, all while the NFL Super Bowl was taking place, speaks for itself in verifying that statement. It is going to be very exciting to see how it all unravels in this season, let alone the ones to come. Seeing how far the inevitable butterfly effect stretches will be fascinating, and the amount of “what-ifs” that result will devastate or exhilarate some fanbases.
Contact Justin at justin.loretz@student.shu.edu